Saturday, August 16, 2008

Pre Wedding/Hawaiian Honeymoon Weight Training Routine

Right now, I have put trying to attain strength gains from weight training on the back burner as I attempt to get into the best shape I've been in for quite some time. I am currently using a bodybuilding style of weight training and am basically training by instinct. By that, I mean that the exercises that I perform on any given day depends mostly on how I feel, what is or isn't sore and on the equipment available. I plan out my first couple of exercises and then wing it from then on and try to get as much as I can get done in as little time as possible. I try to get as good a pump ("The Pump"- explained here by Arnold) as possible without sitting around and picking my nose. Since the weight is not that heavy, the reps are little higher and the rest periods are also quite low (45-60 seconds).

Currently my split has a tendency to look like this:

Day 1: Chest, Triceps, Abs, Cardio

Day 2: Back, BicepsCardio

Day 3: Rest/Cardio

Day 4: Shoulders, Traps, Cardio

Day 5: Legs, No Cardio

Day6: Rest/Cardio

Day 7: Repeat Cycle

BodyPart/ExerciseSetsReps
Chest
Flat Press (DB or BB)38-12
Incline Press (DB or BB)38-12
Dips or Decline Press312-20
Triceps
Cable Pressdowns312-20
French Press310-12
Overhead Extensions (DB or BB312-15
Back
Wide Grip Pull Ups or Pull downs315-20
BB Rows38-12
Close Grip Pull Ups or Pull Downs312-15
DB Rows 310-12
Deadlifts 312-6
Cable Rows312-15
Hyperextensions315-20
Biceps
BB or DB Curl310-12
Preacher Curl312-15
Hammer Curl310-12
Shoulders
Overhead Press (DB or BB)412-6
Seated Lateral Raises315-20
Bent Raises312-15
DB Shrugs315-20
Legs
Leg Extensions320+
Front or Back Squats412-8
Leg Press320+
Lunges310-12
Stiff Legged Deadlift315-20
Hamstring Curls312-15
Standing Calf Raise310-12
Seated Calf Raise320+

I Know that it looks like a lot [for legs and back]; but if I rest minimally my workouts never last any longer than 60 minutes and I'm usually sweating like a pig and am totally exhausted by the end. So far it is working quite well, one great thing about decreasing the weight and checking my ego at the door (as opposed to when I was a younger buck) I have avoided suffering any injuries over the last year (the first year since I began training by the way) and have been making fairly steady progress all year long!

How much does your training environment influence your exercise choices and workout intensity?

2 comments:

sweetartist said...

Well, to be honest... When I'm doing my exercise videos, a lot of kicks are involved in the different work outs. My "training environment" determines how high and/or powerful my kicks are. :) I will hit the cupboard on one side, or my desk on the other. Haha. But I do like to do a lot of cardio almost every day.

theoddbod said...

set up some boards too and bruce lee those babies!